How Do We Do It? Instagramming My Day Away.

You can follow FullPlateMom on Instagram now by clicking on the little logo below. Here at FullPlateManor any revenue earned from the blog goes to the Full Plate Family Adoption Grant. We are currently attempting to raise $2000 that will be put into a fund for a child who is waiting to be adopted. Our hope is that by offsetting the cost of adoption, a child who is medically fragile might be able to join their family faster than they otherwise would have. It should be noted, that the child we donate our little grant to will NOT be joining our family. We’re paying forward our own blessings by blessing another family.

I, Full Plate Mom, get a lot of questions about how FPD and I juggle the responsibilities of eight kids. When I decided to post my day, and the boringness of it, in the form of a ‘How Do We Do It?’ post, I decided to use Instagram to show everyone what a typical day around here is like. I wanted to show everyone how we’re just a regular family. Well, maybe a little larger, I guess.Usually, my Mondays are quite boring. I don’t work on Mondays. Around here, Mondays are affectionately known as ‘Mama Monday.’ It’s the day that the littlest, non-school age children, get a special day with me to run errands and just hang. We usually do lunch with FullPlate Mana and Bupa too (my parents). In fact, we almost always do lunch, because the little peanut pictured below will have it no other way. My day started normally. I am usually woken up by this little princess.

I am the morning person around here, so while FPD sleeps a little longer, I get everyone ready. He works on Mondays, so he drives to school. As soon as everyone is out the door, I begin dealing with the aftermath of the morning tornado.

Yes, that’s a bottle. There is a certain girl here who won’t give it up at bedtime. Don’t judge me. This certain girl and I enjoy tidying up and alternately watching Elmo. She likes to help.

We have to use multiple Dyson products to get the job done.

We headed out to our favorite hang out to buy our weekly allotment of TP, air freshener (the boys, they are slightly stinky) and other necessities.

This is where our perfectly planned day went off the rails. While we were waiting in line, the very friendly Health Office Attendant at the school called. This boy…

had barfed.

So, we drove here.

Then we came home where Full Plate Mana and Bupa were kind enough to come and visit us since there would be no lunch out, and a certain girl would have been crushed had she not had her promised visit.

When we got home though, we found one very geriatric beagle had crapped ALL OVER the Living Room. I’ll spare you the photo of it and instead show you one very, very ashamed elderly dog.

Idiot dog.

After cleaning up one large pile of dook, we raced back here.

To get this crew…

FPD picked up Giggles.Then the homework begins.

And music practice…

On Mondays, the little girls dance.

While FPD takes a couple of boys, minus one barfer, to soccer practice.

This was waiting for me when I got home. I have nothing to do, ever, with the making of the meals.

I do have quite a bit to do with the clean up.

I have a helper. Always. She enjoys a little play time, as do the rest of the kiddos, because TV is not allowed during the week.

Well, unless you’re a barfer.

After that, there’s laundry, and showers, and clothes that are chosen for the next day. And, my day ends much like it began.

With this funny face.

On any given day, it’s not exhausting. A barfer throws a wrench into the works, but we manage it somehow.

I guess it never quite goes as planned, so, I guess, there is no ‘typical’ day around here.

I guess there are only atypical days? We’re okay with that though, because we’re not exactly your typical family.